Law enforcement urges caution on Huron River, area lakes this holiday weekend

Photo by Lon Horwedel, The Ann Arbor NewsThe crunched remains of a smashed kayak are stuck to a bridge column in the Huron River at Zeeb Road on Wednesday, apparent evidence of a recent boating accident on the fast-moving river. Law enforcement is urging caution this holiday weekend on area waterways.

Law enforcement officers will be out in force this weekend, watching to ensure that boaters and canoeists are engaging in safe - and legal - behavior on the water over the long holiday.

Several recreational paddlers got into trouble last weekend as the rain-swollen Huron River quintupled its typical flow for this time of year.

A man was stranded in the water after his kayak became entrapped in tree branches, and the canoe of an Ann Arbor couple capsized after it was caught in branches. In another incident two weeks ago, a woman was rescued after she and several paddlers were pinned against a bridge support.

As the holiday weekend begins, the river through Ann Arbor is still running about three times its normal cubic feet per second for this time of year, according to U.S. Geological Survey water data. (That figure is usually 300 cubic feet per second this time of year and it was about 900 cubic feet per second Thursday.)

The current high water levels follow a period last Saturday when the river briefly hit within inches of flood stage - and was measured at about 3,000 cubic feet per second - after torrential overnight rains.

And while fast waters can make for a rousing canoe trip, it's not one for beginners, experts and public safety officials say.

"There are numerous, numerous incidents, and we've had a number of fatals (in past years)," said Deputy Keith DeZwaan, marine division supervisor of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department. "If you go out, we're urging extreme caution, and if you are inexperienced wait until the water level is down."

Officials will be looking to make sure those using rivers and lakes are carrying mandatory personal flotation devices and will be on the lookout for boaters and canoeists who are intoxicated.

The problems usually come when inexperienced paddlers encounter obstacles on the river, such as downed trees and piles of submerged branches known as "strainers."
With fast currents leaving little time to maneuver, a boater can wind up capsized, caught in branches or against a bridge piling with a strong current pushing against them, explained Bryan Toth, president of the local Raw Strength and Courage Kayaking Club.

Huron River deaths are rare, but not unheard of.

At least five people have drowned on the Huron River in the past seven years, according to Ann Arbor News records, not including other accidents on lakes and ponds. And there are typically 10 to 15 annual "incidents" on water countywide, DeZwaan said.

"The last thing you want to be seeing in a situation like that is the person in an open canoe with a cooler of beer," said Mark Singleton, executive director of the American Whitewater Association, based in Cullowhee, N.C.

Tracy Davis can be reached at tdavis@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6856.